What's Up Docs?
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves. Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and as doctors, they want this for everyone. Yet they tussle over how best to get there. When it comes to looking after our own health, it can be confusing. Medicine and science produce amazing new treatments and diagnostics every day and we are bombarded with so many headlines and pieces of advice; but how are we supposed to know what's really best for us and then successfully apply it to our lives? Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken embrace this challenge; even as they marvel at the scientific breakthroughs, they grapple with the competing claims about health, wellbeing and how to live. From understanding testosterone therapies to microplastics in our diets, and the concept of 'hangriness' to the power of saying no - this podcast deals with the health stresses we all face every day, while taking on board how the decisions by corporations and governments affect all our health. Each episode, Chris and Xand are joined by an expert guest to examine the latest research, psychological insights, and data, to help listeners navigate the overwhelming amount of information and advice out there. They talk about the trials and tribulations in their own lives in their characteristically witty way - each teasing the other as they search for solutions. Xand has trouble sleeping , Chris has noisy knees, one of them has got an embarrassing itch. They have different ways of looking at things and find it really helpful to get the other one's point of view. These doctors are trying their best and encouraging listeners to do the same. Email: [email protected] Whatsapp: 08000 665123 A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
Get AI-powered summaries of What's Up Docs?
Never miss key insights. Receive episode summaries straight to your inbox.
Recent Episodes
Today we’re sharing an episode from our sister podcast, Complex with Kimberley Wilson. In the episode, Kimberley asks CBT therapist Joshua Munn about the symptoms of ADHD and how to recognise it. He ...
Summary Preview
Complex with Kimberley Wilson explores ADHD in depth, separating social media myths from clinical reality. Chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson interviews therapist Joshua Monk, who specializes in ADHD and OCD and has lived experience of both conditions. They discuss what ADHD actually is, how it presents differently in men and women, the role of shame and perfectionism, social media misinformation, and practical strategies for living with the condition. The conversation is both clinically informed and compassionately human, emphasizing that ADHD is a serious diagnosis but not a life sentence.
- Understanding ADHD: Beyond the Social Media Myths
- How ADHD Actually Presents: The Internal Experience
Doctors' Notes: Type 2 Diabetes
Sep 15, 2026Chris and Xand van Tulleken take a deeper dive into type 2 diabetes and the bigger factors shaping one of the world's most common health conditions. Joined by Dr Tamara Hibbert, they explore why type...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken and Dr. Xand Van Tulleken speak with Dr. Tammy Hibbert, a GP working in Newham, one of the UK's most deprived areas, about type 2 diabetes. The conversation explores Tammy's personal journey into diabetes care, the profound impact of social determinants of health on diabetes prevalence, and her innovative approach using group consultations to empower patients. The discussion highlights how environment, food access, and community support shape diabetes outcomes, while offering hope through lifestyle interventions and culturally sensitive care.
- Tammy's Journey into Diabetes Care
- The Serious Consequences of Unmanaged Diabetes
How can we better understand type 2 diabetes?
Sep 15, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to...
Summary Preview
BBC Radio 4's health podcast What's Up Docs dives deep into type 2 diabetes, a condition that has tripled in the last 30 years and affects nearly one in ten people in the UK. Hosted by identical twin doctors Chris and Zand, the episode features Dr. Tamara Hibbert, a GP and Diabetes UK clinical champion, who explains the science behind blood sugar regulation, risk factors, and the potential for remission through lifestyle interventions. The conversation emphasizes that type 2 diabetes is not simply about sugar consumption but involves complex fat distribution patterns, genetics, and insulin resistance.
- Understanding Type 2 Diabetes vs Type 1
- The Sweetness of Blood: Understanding Glucose Levels
How to Spot a Sleep Disorder
Sep 08, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they dig i...
Summary Preview
In this episode of What's Up Docs, Dr. Zand and Dr. Chris van Tulleken discuss sleep disorders with Dr. Sophie West, lead of the Newcastle Regional Sleep Service. They explore various types of sleep disorders including insomnia, parasomnias like sleepwalking and night terrors, restless leg syndrome, and REM sleep behavior disorders. The conversation emphasizes that while sleep disorders are incredibly common—affecting about a quarter of the population—many can be effectively managed with proper sleep hygiene and cognitive behavioral therapy rather than medication.
- Understanding Healthy Sleep and Sleep Disorders
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Counterintuitive Cure
Doctors' Notes: Routine
Sep 01, 2026Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken are back with a bonus episode, continuing their conversation on routines with Bas Verplanken, Professor Emeritus of Social Psychology at the University of Bath. ...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken and Dr. Xand Van Tulleken explore the science of routines and habits with Professor Bas Verplanken, Professor Emeritus at the University of Bath. The conversation delves into how routines form, their relationship with creativity, their role across different life stages from childhood to retirement, and practical strategies for establishing helpful habits. Professor Verplanken shares insights from his career studying behavioral psychology and reveals how behavior often drives attitudes more than the reverse.
- The Science Behind Habits and Routines
- Routines and Creativity: Debunking the Chaotic Artist Myth
Should you get back into a routine?
Sep 01, 2026Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn to routines. With ...
Summary Preview
Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the science of routines and habits with Professor Bas Verplanken, examining how routines shape our daily lives, the mechanisms behind habit formation, and strategies for establishing beneficial routines while breaking destructive ones. The discussion covers everything from the neurological basis of habits to practical implementation strategies, with particular focus on how discontinuities in life present opportunities for positive change.
- What Routines Really Are and Why We Need Them
- The Tunnel Vision Effect: Good and Bad Habits
Doctors' Notes: Walking
Aug 25, 2026Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about walking with Professor Steve Haake. Recording in Sheffield's Botanical Gardens, they discuss how why creating opportunities for walking c...
Summary Preview
Drs. Xand van Tulleken and Chris van Tulleken explore the health benefits of walking with Professor Steve Hacker, a physicist-turned-sports scientist. Recording from Sheffield's Botanical Gardens, they discuss Steve's research on community walking initiatives, the success of Parkrun as a public health intervention, and how physical activity improves quality of life. Steve shares insights from his work comparing UK walking culture with mindful walking practices in South Korea, and explains his data-driven approach to understanding what truly improves people's wellbeing.
- Steve Hacker's Journey from Physics to Public Health
- The Power of Parkrun as Public Health Initiative
How does walking benefit you?
Aug 25, 2026Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, recorded while walking throu...
Summary Preview
Chris van Tulleken and Xand van Tulleken take their medical podcast on location to Sheffield Botanical Gardens for a special episode about walking. Joined by sports engineering professor Steve Haworth, they explore the science behind walking, debunk the 10,000 steps myth, and discuss how different types of walks provide varied physical and mental health benefits beyond just cardiovascular fitness.
- The Science of Walking: What Happens in Your Body
- The 10,000 Steps Myth: Origins and Reality
Doctors' Notes: Crying
Aug 18, 2026Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about crying with counselling psychologist Kimberley Wilson. They look at why people have different thresholds for crying, why other people...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken and Dr. Xand Van Tulleken sit down with chartered psychologist Kimberly Wilson for an in-depth discussion about crying, emotional expression, and how we respond to others' tears. The conversation challenges Chris's tendency to discourage crying, particularly with his daughters during homework time, as Kimberly explains that crying is a neutral emotional response rather than something to be suppressed. The discussion explores cultural attitudes toward crying, the intersection of emotion and decision-making, and why validation of feelings is crucial for emotional health.
- The Neutrality of Crying and Cultural Conditioning
- Chris's Homework Battle and the Importance of Validation
Is crying good for you?
Aug 18, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn to something many...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris and Dr. Zand explore the complex world of crying with chartered psychologist Kimberly Wilson. They examine why we cry, how crying functions as communication from infancy through adulthood, the health implications of emotional suppression, and practical ways to respond when others cry. The episode challenges assumptions about crying being weakness and reveals it as essential human communication and emotional regulation.
- The Many Forms and Functions of Crying
- Baby Crying as Essential Communication
Doctors' Notes: Relaxation
Aug 11, 2026Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about relaxation with philosopher and author Julian Baggani. They look at the history of relaxation, the activities we have chosen to do in...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken and Dr. Zand Van Tulleken interview philosopher Dr. Julian Beggini in Doctor's Notes, exploring the philosophical dimensions of relaxation, meditation, and rest. They examine how modern commercialized approaches to relaxation differ fundamentally from historical practices, discuss the gendered aspects of guilt around rest, and consider how attention-grabbing technologies have made genuine relaxation increasingly difficult in contemporary life.
- Introduction and Meditation's Buddhist Origins
- Animal Relaxation and Historical Perspectives
Why is it so hard to relax?
Aug 11, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they look at relaxation. We...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris van Tulleken and Dr. Xand van Tulleken explore the complex nature of relaxation, questioning why it's so difficult to achieve and whether our modern approach to it is fundamentally flawed. Joined by philosopher Dr. Julian Baggini, they examine how commercialization and instrumentalization have transformed relaxation from a natural state into a stressful task, and discuss the difference between physiological rest and mental relief from life's burdens.
- The Medical Definition of Relaxation and Its Contradictions
- Defining Relaxation: Relief from Burden
Doctors' Notes: Hydration
Aug 04, 2026Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about hydration with Dr John Whittle, a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals ...
Summary Preview
Dr Chris and Dr Xand Van Tulleken speak with Dr John Whittle, a consultant in anaesthesia and critical care at University College Hospital, about the complexities of hydration in special circumstances. While most healthy people can simply trust their thirst, the conversation explores when professional intervention becomes crucial - from endurance athletes who need physiological calculations to hospital patients whose bodies can't self-regulate, and elderly individuals whose natural thirst mechanisms decline. The discussion emphasizes that while our evolved hydration systems work remarkably well for daily life, extreme conditions, illness, age, and medical interventions all require more careful fluid management.
- Endurance Athletes and Hydration Science
- The Hospital Hydration Dilemma
How hydrated should you really be?
Aug 04, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode they’re exploring hydration. ...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris and Dr. Zand explore the science of hydration with Dr. John Whittle, an anesthesiologist and critical care expert. They debunk common myths about water intake, explain how the body naturally regulates fluid balance, and clarify when electrolytes are actually necessary. The key message: trust your thirst for most situations, as chronic overhydration offers no proven health benefits for most people.
- How the Body Regulates Water and Why We Need It
- Thirst Is Your Best Guide - It's Not Too Late
Doctors' Notes: Bad Advice
Jul 28, 2026Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Sunita Sah about why humans follow advice they suspect, or even know, is bad. They explore what first drew Sunita to this area o...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris and Dr. Zand Van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Sunita Sarr, diving deeper into why people follow bad advice even when they know it's wrong. This episode explores who is most vulnerable to insinuation anxiety, when we're at highest risk, and practical strategies to avoid falling into these traps. Sunita shares fascinating research about gender differences in susceptibility, the importance of the decision-making process over outcomes, and her personal experiences navigating medical advice as both a doctor and patient.
- How Sunita Came to Study Bad Advice
- Who Is Most Vulnerable to Insinuation Anxiety
Why do we follow bad advice?
Jul 28, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they discuss a behaviour alm...
Summary Preview
Doctors Chris and Zand explore why people follow bad advice even when they know it's wrong, particularly in healthcare settings. They interview Professor Sunita Sarr, an organizational psychologist from Cornell University, who discusses the psychological mechanisms behind compliance with bad advice, including insinuation anxiety, the role of confidence and attractiveness, and why warnings about conflicts of interest can paradoxically increase compliance rates.
- The Nature of Bad Advice
- Who We Take Bad Advice From
Doctors' Notes: Eyes
Jul 21, 2026Chris and Xand continue their conversation about eyes with Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik. The doctors want to know what particular things we should be doing to look after our eyes in the summer, including how t...
Summary Preview
In this Doctor's Notes episode, consultant ophthalmic and oculoplastic surgeon Mr. Raj Dasbomik discusses his unique specialty combining eye surgery with plastic surgery, summer eye safety, and the surprising connection between art and ophthalmology. He covers everything from sunglasses myths to eye trauma first aid, screen time effects, and his work reconstructing faces after cosmetic surgery complications. The conversation reveals fascinating insights about eye health, including why cheap sunglasses work just as well as expensive ones and how our blink rate dramatically decreases when using screens.
- Journey into Oculoplastic Surgery and the Arts
- Summer Eye Safety and Sunglasses
How can you look after your eyes?
Jul 21, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and ...
Summary Preview
Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore eye health with consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Raj Dasbomik from Moorfields Eye Hospital. They discuss why regular eye tests are crucial (not just for vision, but for detecting serious conditions), what happens during an eye exam, warning signs never to ignore, and debunk common myths about eye exercises and glasses. The episode emphasizes that 50% of sight loss is avoidable with proper eye care.
- Why Eye Tests Matter Beyond Vision
- What Actually Happens During an Eye Test
Doctors' Notes: AI Medicine
Jul 14, 2026Chris and Xand continue their conversation about AI medicine with Dr Emma Karoune. The docs explore how AI has been used in cutting edge medical research, such as to create digital models of the hear...
Summary Preview
Dr. Chris and Dr. Zand speak with Dr. Emma Caroon from the Alan Turing Institute about artificial intelligence in medicine. The conversation explores the difference between supervised machine learning (like medical imaging analysis) and generative AI chatbots, current applications in clinical settings, and the potential future of AI-assisted healthcare. Emma shares insights from her work on COVID diagnostics, discusses the promise and limitations of medical AI, and addresses concerns about regulation, data quality, and the societal implications of this rapidly evolving technology.
- Emma's Journey from Archaeology to AI Research
- AI Breakthroughs in Medical Research and Drug Discovery
What can AI medicine do for you?
Jul 14, 2026Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. Can AI empower better self-...
Summary Preview
Dr. Zand and Dr. Chris explore the opportunities and risks of using AI chatbots for medical advice. With expert Dr. Emma Caroon from the Alan Turing Institute, they examine how these large language models work, their limitations including hallucinations and lack of regulation, and establish guidelines for safe use. The episode emphasizes treating AI as a powerful tool requiring the same scrutiny as medical devices, not as a replacement for healthcare professionals.
- Introduction to AI in Healthcare
- What Are AI Chatbots and How Do They Work